Manual vs. Electric? Dentists Weigh-In on the Best Toothbrushes, Then We Tested Their Top Picks (2024)

• What Healthcare Providers Want You to Know

• Our Picks

• How We Tested the Toothbrushes

• Our Experts

• FAQ

• Why Trust Verywell Health

Key Specs

Type: Electric | Features: Bluetooth, app, pressure sensor, timer

Why We Recommend It

A simple and intuitive design combined with highly effective cleaning and protective measures earned Oral-B’s Genius X Limited the top spot on our list. Our editor with receding gums appreciated the red light signal that let them know if they were pressing too hard. This model also vibrates every 30 seconds to let us know it’s time to move to the next quadrant of the mouth, ensuring complete mouth coverage.

The smaller head makes it easier for this model to reach the corners of our mouth, and it can be toggled between modes by simply pressing a button. Furthermore, we were able to adjust the modes that we wanted access to through the app, with daily clean, intense, sensitive, whiten, gum care, and tongue clean all being available. If it’s open during usage, the app lets us know when we’ve hit all the parts of our mouth or if we are falling short in coverage.

Keep In Mind

The base of this model tends to tip over easily.

Key Specs

Type: Electric | Features: 5 settings, timer

Why We Recommend It

Voom Sonic’s Pro 5 Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush offered us an impressive clean at a fraction of competitors’ prices. It demonstrated excellent power; during usage it even vibrated our lips, but without bothering our gum and teeth sensitivities in the process. It was also easy to switch settings between the five speeds (whitening, clean, sensitive, polish, and massage).

Like pricier models, this one features a 30-second timerto let us know when it is time to move onto the next quadrant of our mouths. We also found that itlasts longer between charges,with Voom stating that it has aneight-week battery life between charges.

Keep In Mind

While it comes with a USB cord and charging stand, it doesn’t include an adapter box to plug it into the wall and it also doesn’t feature a battery life indicator. We also found that the location of the settings on the handle lead to us accidentally changing them.

Key Specs

Type: Electric | Features: 3 intensity and 3 modes, timer

Why We Recommend It

During usage, we found that the Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 6100 provided us with a dentist-level clean feeling, effectively cleaning our teeth while protecting our editor’s sensitive gums. Thegum care modeprovides a lower brushing power to massage the gums, and it also has a built-in pressure sensor to further protect the gums.

Thebrush head proved to be a great size andcomfortable while still covering a substantial area. Additionally, changing between settings proved easy as well with a two button design—one for power and one to change settings and intensity during usage. Finally, a battery indicator let us know how much time we had before this toothbrush ran out, but fortunately, one charge lasted us for an entire month.

Keep In Mind

While we could change the intensity during usage, it had to be turned off to switch between the settings.

Key Specs

Type: Manual | Features: Ultra Soft bristles

Why We Recommend It

Designed specifically with sensitive teeth in mind, we found Oral-B’s Gum Care Sensitive Toothbrush to be excellent for the teeth and sensitive gums of our editor. With a combination of ultra-soft and differently lengthed bristles for adequate cleaning, it worked to clean between our teeth whileimproving gum health effectively.

This toothbrush features a smaller head that makes it easy to navigate around the mouth, reaching the molars and back of the mouth with ease. The design also made it easy to clean our teeth in all directions.

Keep In Mind

Some people may find that the smaller head doesn’t accommodate their mouth’s demands that well.

Key Specs

Type: Manual | Features: Soft bristles

Why We Recommend It

Curaprox’s 5460 Ultrasoft Toothbrush impressed us with its comfort during brushing. While labeled asultrasoft, we still found thebristles denseenough to provide excellent cleaning without causing pain or damage. The bristles also proved to bedurable,not fraying even when we brushed more aggressively.

This option proved to be highly maneuverable, angling well to hit every corner of our mouths. It features a thicker handle that is easy to hold and control, so while pricier, we felt this option went above and beyond the price.

If you’re not sold on the Curaprox 5460 Ultrasoft Toothbrush, another great option is the Radius Big Brush. It features an ergonomic grip, and thehandle and bristles are sustainable and plant-based.Unlike other manual options, the head on this option can be replaced. Our editor also has sensitive gums and found that this option didn’t cause gum irritation for them. However, keep in mind it’s not ambidextrous (you’ll need to choose left or right hand), and it’s more expensive than the Curaprox 5460 Ultrasoft Toothbrush, which is why it’s not our first choice.

Keep In Mind

While substantially cheaper than electric options, this option is pricier than other manual toothbrushes.

Key Specs

Type: Manual | Features: Soft bristles

Why We Recommend It

Manual toothbrushes are a more cost-effective alternative to electric options, but Smartly’s Manual Toothbrush elevates the savings to the next level. In terms of performance, we felt like we got an excellent clean, and no bristles came loose or experienced fraying after multiple uses of this brush.

A smooth placement for the thumb helped us to easily navigate our mouths, reaching our back teeth with no issue. The bristles felt soft but still cleaned our teeth effectively and we also found the monotone color to be pleasant.

For comparison, another manual budget option we tested was the Amazon Basics Clean Plus Toothbrushes. We liked that this model comes in a package of 10 and that the bristles were soft from the start. Unfortunately, the plastic on the handle proved to be flexible, and we could feel it bending while brushing, so we recommend sticking with the Smartly’s Manual Toothbrush.

Keep In Mind

We felt that this option would have benefitted from a curved design to make it grip better. The smooth texture also made it slippery when wet.

Key Specs

Type: Manual | Features: Soft bristles

Why We Recommend It

Tested by someone who has had gum reconstruction surgery, Cocofloss’s Cocobrush is a great pick for the sensitively gummed. The bristles are so soft that they are comparable to a sponge, but without sacrificing any ability to clean in the process. The curved brush is also easy to maneuver, and we experienced no abrasion.

The angled brush head glided around our mouths, and we found that we couldn’t overbrush with this model, even when pushing hard, as the soft bristles stayed soft.

Keep In Mind

For a manual toothbrush, it’s more expensive than competitors.

Key Specs

Type: Manual | Features: Great handle design

Why We Recommend It

The Gum Technique Sensitive Care Toothbrush proved to be particularly gentle for us, living up to the bristle’s description of ultrasoft. It worked for us to prevent gum aching or bleeding while still cleaning under the gumline. Our editor recommends this for other people who have had dental work, speaking from personal experience.

This option also has a nice handle that is designed to promote brushing at a 45° angle. We found it to be comfortable and importantly, none of the bristles came loose during testing.

Keep In Mind

It wasn’t as effective as other models for getting into the back of the mouth or under bridge work.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How often should you change your toothbrush?

  According to Dr. Becker, you should replace your toothbrush or brush head every three months. She notes that if you’re sick or you see that your bristles are wearing down before that, you should change it earlier.